


Anamnesis

by idontbelieveinmountains



Category: RWBY
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Volume 6 (RWBY)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-24
Updated: 2018-11-24
Packaged: 2019-08-28 09:56:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16721169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idontbelieveinmountains/pseuds/idontbelieveinmountains
Summary: Qrow and Ozpin both have a lot to think about after everything that Jinn revealed.





	Anamnesis

_“Meeting you was the worst luck of my life”_

That was the worst thing Qrow possibly could have said.  
Ozpin felt as though he had just been hit by an oncoming train. He deserved it. He deserved the pain and the guilt and all the other consequences that came along with his lies. But Qrow. Qrow was the one person he thought would trust him no matter what. But now he knew the truth. He knew everything about Ozpin’s past, and he knew that there was not yet a concrete plan for defeating Salem. Qrow knew it all, and he responded about as well as Ozpin expected him to. What killed Ozpin the most was that he brought all of this on himself. He couldn’t even be fully open with the love of his life, so why should anyone trust him? They’d likely be better off without him altogether. 

“Maybe you’re right”, Ozpin said. Then he locked himself away. 

\---

Qrow immediately walked into the first empty room he could find and slammed the door behind him. He was so enraged that his entire body trembled with it. Everything him and Oz had been through, and there were still things that he didn’t know. All this time, Qrow thought that he was the one person Ozpin shared everything with, but turns out that was all just a big fantasy in his head. Salem can’t be killed, and turns out she wasn’t even truly at fault for any of this. Qrow didn’t blame her for cursing the gods, he cursed them too. Cursed them for his semblance. Cursed them for leaving Remnant behind. Cursed them for making Qrow love someone who would hurt him so badly. 

He seethed, grabbing his shaking hand to calm himself, but that’s when he saw it: the ring. The one Ozpin had given him years ago after a particularly scary mission. It was originally a gear that had fallen out of Oz’s cane during battle, and he had it made into a piece of jewelry just for Qrow. _“A good luck charm”_ , Oz said, and they’d both laughed. Everything was so much simpler back then. Qrow and Oz didn’t get to see each other very often, but they loved each other, and that was all that mattered. Qrow remembered other words from that same night; _“I love you”, “In all my lifetimes there has never been someone quite like you, Qrow”_. The tears didn’t catch him by surprise. _Did you lie about that, too?_ He thought to himself. Qrow quickly ripped the ring from his finger and hurled it at the wall. He then laid down in bed for a restless night of reliving old memories. 

\---

Oz didn’t automatically greet him when the elevator doors swished open, which was an immediate bad sign. Qrow walked over to Ozpin, who was staring pensively out his office window with a solemn expression on his face, and his hands in front of him gripping his cane. Qrow knew that this couldn’t be good. “Hey”, he said, his eyebrows furrowing with concern, but Oz remained fixed in position. This really wasn't good. Then Oz finally spoke up. 

“Do you think creating the maidens was a mistake, Qrow?” Oz asked. Qrow didn’t know what to say. This wasn’t at all what he expected, and it was so rare for Ozpin to show any signs of doubt. Qrow figured he should tread carefully. 

“What’s this about, Oz?” The other man sighed and lowered his gaze sadly. 

“I just received a call from Leonardo about Esther. It seems as though the burden of being the spring maiden was simply too much for her. She ran away last night, and no one has seen her since.” The room was completely silent as Qrow felt the air between them go still. Ozpin’s expression became progressively more sorrowful as he spoke. “There was a time in my life, in one of my past lives, when I truly felt like I had nothing to live for. I locked myself away from the world because I didn’t think there was any hope of me saving it. Then, out of nowhere, four women decided to show me kindness. It had been so long since I had felt even remotely happy, Qrow. I thought I was doing a good thing by giving them some of my power, but it seems that I only created more trouble.” Everything felt so cold. 

Qrow couldn’t remember the last time he saw Oz this upset. Usually the man was so professional and composed, yet here he was laying his soul bare. His own life was certainly no walk in the park, but he couldn’t imagine having to carry the burden that Ozpin did. Everyone always expected him to be so perfect that they forgot that he was just a man. A man trying to do the best he could for everyone around him. Qrow joined Ozpin in staring out the window into the stormy night, taking a moment to think before speaking. “Honestly Oz, I don’t know if creating the maidens was a mistake or not, I really couldn’t tell you. But what I do know is that you were trying to do the right thing. Maybe it didn’t turn out the way you wanted it to, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re still here. You’re still fighting for the people of Remnant despite everything that she’s tried to do to stop you. You’re trying, Oz. It’s ok if you make mistakes.” Both of them were quiet for a moment. 

Qrow heard a droplet of water hit the floor, then felt Ozpin’s hand gently grab his own, slowly rubbing his thumb across Qrow’s fingers. “Thank you”, Ozpin said, his voice threatening to crack. He looked at Qrow then, the single streak of tears now visible on his face, “I missed you dearly”. He lowered his forehead until it made contact with Qrow’s. Qrow kissed him then. 

“I missed you too, Oz. And I don’t know if it means much, but you’ve still got me”. Ozpin finally smiled.

“It means everything, you dusty old crow.” 

\---

Qrow awoke knowing that he had to apologize.


End file.
